adam

I don't think we are top 10 but have a chance to get really close, I am thinking from 11-15 in terms of defensive rank. If our offense can be in the same range, we have playoff potential, but if one of the units falters and ends up in the 20's then we are a 7-9 team. Our biggest issue was with creating turnovers. 2nd to last in INTs, and 3rd to last in overall turnovers. We need to create more which will get the defense off the field quicker and give the offense more opportunities. I like all the stats here: http://www.footballoutsiders.com/stats/teameff According to FBO, we had the 10th most efficient offense and 31st defense.

You are using QB Rating against to evaluate a Safety? Is that the Passer rating when he is on the field, when balls are thrown to his side of the field, to receivers he is defending? That is a pretty subjective stat. I could see if that was a CB, but even then, without a pass rush, DB's can't cover a receiver for more than a few seconds. He made the All-Rookie Team and was mentioned in numerous media season reviews as a top 10 rookie. I would say his relative play would make him a starter on at least half the teams in the league, and as a 2nd year player, and 5th rounder, that is pretty solid.

Shea McClellin would like to have a word with you.

Are you saying Amos is not a starting Safety in the NFL and wouldn't start for another team? He may not be a Pro-Bowl Safety but he definitely is an NFL Starter.

What is crazy is that we had 6 players in the top 100 and those did not include Bush, Hall, or Braverman who figure to be in the mix as well. If White ends up near his potential, our last two drafts could potentially include 11 new starters: White, Goldman, Grasu, Langford, Amos, Floyd, Whitehair, Bullard, Hall/Bush, Houston-Carson, and Braverman. I didn't include Howard or Kwiatkoski but they should figure into the rotation or Kwiat on ST.

If this is true, Houston is all but gone. With McPhee at $7.6, Houston at $6.9, Trevathan at $6.3, Freeman at $4.0, and Willie at $3.16, if Willie is bumped to $5, that would equate to $30mil against the cap for those 5x LBs, not counting Floyd. That seems like a lot. I know we have to spend it somewhere, but comparing the salaries, Houston's is the one that is not equal to the performance/potential. There would be a $4mil cap savings to cut him. It may not happen this season, but I can see it happening after next season with less dead money.

Bears roster moves: Signed: Kenton Adeyemil, DL Kieren Duncan, WR Ben LeCompte, P Donovan Williams, OL Waived: Dan Buchholz, C Bruce Gaston, DT Marcus Lucas, TE Nathan Palmer, WR https://twitter.com/ChicagoBears/status/732297845773045760 Gaston and Palmer were not rookies.

Could've been a reason why we passed on him. I know some had him projected to go to the Bears. Now may miss some regular season time.

Both of those guys could add on a couple of lbs. Sub-180 is just asking for trouble in the NFL. His 40 looked impressive, but he didn't look as fast in pads (most players don't). Also remember Thompson ran a 4.23 40. What I like about it the most is the competition being brought in at every position. No one is safe.

Jason, that is 53, plus Kicker, Punter, LS, so you have to keep O and D to 50. So cut 3 and we are good.

I feel like the roster will end up very close to this with a surprise cut or two and a couple of new additions once cuts start next month. QB – Cutler, Hoyer RB – Langford, Howard, Carey, Rodgers TE – Miller, Housler, Lee, Braunecker WR – Jeffery, White, Royal, Braverman, (1 out of Thompson, Mariani), (1 of out of Wilson/Bellamy/Meredith/Peterson*/Keaton*) OL – Long, Massie, Leno, Whitehair, Grasu, Ramirez, Larsen, (2 of out of Fabuluje/Becton/Weaver*/Wallace/Bellard*/Kling*/Buchholz*) DL – Goldman, Unrein, Hicks, Bullard, (2 out of Ferguson, Sutton, Washington, Robertson-Harris*) LB – Floyd, Trevathan, McPhee, Freeman, Kwiatkoski, (1-2 out of Jones/Anderson/Timu), (2 out of Acho/Houston/Young) CB – Fuller, Porter, Callahan, Hall, McManis S – Amos, Bush, Jones-Quartey, (1-2 out of Bolden, Prosinski, Houston-Carson*, Glenn-CB) *-PS candidate

Per Leming: 2nd Rd'er OL Cody Whitehair's contract: 4/$4.2M. Cap hits of $768K, $960K, $1.15M, $1.34M. 4th Rd’er ILB Nick Kwiatkowski’s contract: 4/$2.915M. Cap hits of $594K, $684K, $774K, $864K. 4th Rd’er S Deon Bush’s contract: 4/$2.866M. Cap hits of $582K, $672K, $762K, $852K. 5th Rd’er RB Jordan Howard’s contract: 4/$2.588M. Cap hits of $512K, $602K, $692K, $782K. 7th Rd’er WR Daniel Braverman contract: 4/$2.4M. Cap hits of $470K, $560K, $650K, $740K.

Seems like a good sign. He was only on the Bears a year (w/ Pace and Co.), and if he is already being looked at to be promoted, then our staff must be doing pretty good.

https://m.imgur.com/gallery/ivp1i I don't know how long this will stay up but it is a pretty cool look at how teams rank players. They nailed a bunch of evals but also whiffed big on a few, ie Antonio Brown and Chancellor. Not Bears related but I thought it was cool nonetheless. Bears tie in, check out eval on Claussen.

I am pretty critical of their grading metrics, but their narrative is normally a little more accurate. I don't know if the defense is "playoff caliber" but I can definitely see a top 15 D this year. https://www.profootballfocus.com/blog/2016/...efense-in-2016/

Monroe is a possibility, but I don't see TB cutting any DB's, you need 3 starters nowadays.

I assume you mean this article: http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/feature/25577...he-line-of-fire Having some continuity on the line makes everyone better, so even getting a full season out of the same starting 5 would be huge.

Man are we going to take the field with 6 LBs?

Heard an interview with him on Sirius, and came away highly impressed with his knowledge of the game.

Maybe a duo of Amos and Bush can become Ambush?

Very solid game play LOT vs #6 Baylor:

A great video of the Michigan game that Howard almost singlehandedly won for Indiana, very impressive:

QB – Cutler, Hoyer RB – Langford, Howard, Carey, Rodgers TE – Miller, Housler, Lee, Braunecker WR – Jeffery, White, Royal, Braverman, (1 out of Thompson, Mariani), (1 of out of Wilson/Bellamy/Meredith) OL – Long, Massie, Leno, Whitehair, Grasu, Ramirez, Larsen, (2 of out of Fabuluje/Becton/Weaver/Wallace) DL – Goldman, Unrein, Hicks, Bullard, (2 out of Ferguson, Sutton, Robertson-Harris, Washington) LB – Floyd, Trevathan, McPhee, Freeman, Kwiatkoski, (2 out of Jones/Anderson/Timu), (2 out of Acho/Houston/Young) CB – Fuller, Porter, Callahan, Hall, McManis S – Amos, Bush, Houston-Carson, Bolden, Prosinski